Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fossil Fuels: Arctic

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to stop all support for offshore hydrocarbon extraction in the Arctic region and foster co-operation with the Arctic Council on the issue.

Lord Callanan: In line with UK policy, the UK Government no longer provides new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, other than in limited circumstances, such as to support clean cooking fuel in developing countries. Decisions on oil and gas activities, including hydrocarbon extraction in the Arctic region, are matters for the relevant national authorities. Decisions at all levels in the Arctic Council are the exclusive rights of the Arctic States with the involvement of the Permanent Participants, with the UK as a State Observer.

Department of Health and Social Care

Ophthalmic Services: Special Educational Needs

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 1 December (HL3634), whether they will deposit in the Library of the House thepromotional literature for (1) day special schools, and (2) parents of children attending day special schools, which explained that the NHS Special Schools Eye Care Service was a pilot due to end 31 March 2023.

Lord Markham: A copy of the promotional literature provided to schools and parent and carers through the current proof of concept exercise is attached. However, this did not specify an end date to the pilot as this had not been confirmed at the date of issue.Special School Eye Care Service Information Sheet (pdf, 201.8KB)

Infant Foods: Marketing

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of indirect marketing techniques, such as advice provision, by baby formula brands to target expectant new parents.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. Article 11 of retained Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 on the composition and information requirements of infant formula and follow-on formula states that all informational and educational materials on the feeding of infants must not discourage breastfeeding.

Influenza: Vaccination

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the progress towards developing a universal flu vaccine.

Lord Markham: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) conducts annual horizon scanning on new vaccines in development and is aware of efforts to develop a universal influenza vaccine. Subject to progress on such a vaccine and potential licensing, the JCVI will engage with the relevant manufacturers via its influenza subcommittee.

Lecanemab

Lord Goodlad: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about improving dementia diagnosis to prepare for the arrival ofLecanemab.

Lord Markham: We have had no specific discussions. NHS England continuously reviews potentially promising new medicines which might provide benefits to patients in future, including Lecanemab.

Dementia: Medical Treatments

Lord Goodlad: To ask His Majesty's Government how the 10 year plan for dementia will prepare the NHS for the arrival of new dementia treatments, such as Lecanemab.

Lord Markham: We are reviewing plans for dementia in England and further information will be available in due course. NHS England continuously reviews potentially promising new medicines which might provide benefits to patients in future, including Lecanemab.

Carers: Unpaid Work

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to identifyunpaid carers, and (2) to share these data across (a) different Government departments, (b) the NHS, and (c) local government.

Lord Markham: The People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform White Paper addressed identifying unpaid carers through increasing the use of markers in National Health Service electronic health records by simplifying current approaches to data collection and registration. On 17 October 2022, NHS England wrote to all general practitioner (GP) practices about the importance of identifying carers and advising how caring status should be recorded on patient records. Extraction of this data from GP systems will commence shortly. There are no current plans to share this data with other Government Departments and local government.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the ambition in the NHS Long Term Plan which states that "by 2028, the proportion of cancers diagnosed at stages 1 and 2 will rise from around half now to three-quarters of cancer patients", when they will commence Phase 2 to include a wider range of tests that will involve dialogues with (1) GPs, (2) Integrated Care Boards, and (3) key stakeholders.

Lord Markham: While there are no plans to add a specific second phase, we are committed to the NHS Long Term Plan’s ambition of diagnosing 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028.Patients will benefit from earlier diagnostic tests closer to home, with 91 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) already up and running. Investment in up to 160 CDCs will deliver up to 17 million tests by March 2025. As of November 2022, existing CDCs have delivered more than 2.4 million additional checks.In addition, the NHS-Galleri trial is currently evaluating a test for blood to identify cancer risk, which can detect signs of more than 50 different cancers, including those where no screening programmes currently exist. The trial has recruited the target of 140,000 participants and interim results are expected in late 2023. If successful, the NHS has committed to deploying one million Galleri tests in 2024 and 2025. The clinical trial is currently planned to conclude in 2025.

HIV Infection: Discrimination

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to create a comprehensive strategy for reducing HIV stigma.

Lord Markham: A workforce task and finish group will be established via the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group to consider enhanced training for the health and care workforce to address the stigma associated with HIV and to improve knowledge and understanding of transmission and prevention. In addition, we provided approximately £4 million for a national HIV prevention programme from 2021 to 2024 delivered by Terrence Higgins Trust, which aims to reduce levels of HIV-related stigma within affected communities. The UK Health Security Agency continues to monitor experiences of stigma in those living with HIV through the Positive Voices survey, which will be available in 2023.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the extent of the rollout of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)in England.

Lord Markham: In 2021, the number of people initiating or continuing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in England was 61,092 or 69.6% of those identified as requiring the treatment at sexual health services. PrEP has been initiated or continued for residents of all upper tier local authorities where the need has been identified.

HIV Infection

Baroness Barker: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking totailor care models to provide (1) psychosocial, and (2) practical, support to help people to prepare to live with HIV in the long-term.

Lord Markham: We are currently establishing a workforce task and finish group to report to the HIV Action Plan Steering Group. The task and finish group will be comprised of delivery partners, such as the voluntary and community sector and NHS England and will explore how to improve the care provided, including the transition between young and adult HIV care and treatment services and coordinating care in multiple clinical specialties. NHS England is also reviewing the national service specification for adult HIV services, which sets out the standards of care for providers, including the availability of community, psychological and psychosocial support for patients. Specialised HIV inpatient and outpatient services have been identified as areas for greater integrated leadership by NHS England and integrated care boards (ICBs). Integrating the commissioning of HIV treatment services with ICBs will allow local systems to simplify and strengthen HIV care pathways with other services through effective local partnerships, including psychosocial support and mental health services, for a more holistic approach to care.

Social Services: Finance

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 1 December (HL3582), whether the clarification by Lord Markham on 24 November (HL Deb col 1469) is the most up-to-date answer to this question.

Lord Markham: The answer provided to the Noble Lord on 1 December is the most recent information.

Cancer: Health Services

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what recentassessment they have made of current cancer treatment capacity in the NHS.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have to increase cancer treatment capacity in line with current demand.

Lord Markham: As of September 2022, cancer treatment levels in England were 104% of pre-pandemic levels in September 2019. There were approximately 50,000 first or subsequent treatments for cancer in September 2022. NHS England will recover and expand cancer services over the next three years and aims to ensure the number of people in England waiting more than 62 days to start treatment following suspected cancer will return to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023.The Government has allocated more than £8 billion to the NHS in England from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available in 2021/2022 to increase elective activity, including cancer services. In addition, the autumn statement provided an additional £3.3 billion in 2023/24 and 2024/25 to increase capacity in the health system.

Ministry of Defence

Arctic: Demilitarized and Neutral Zones

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the demilitarisation of the Arctic region.

Baroness Goldie: As set out in the MOD's High North Strategy, The UK's Defence Contribution in the High North, published in March 2022, the UK is committed to maintaining low tension and high cooperation in the Arctic. The UK will continue to work with Allies and partners to ensure that increasing access to the region and its resources is managed safely, sustainably and responsibly, and that the rules-based international system, particularly UNCLOS, is reinforced in the region. The UK supports international cooperation in the High North through engaging in multilateral forums such as the Arctic Council and the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable.

Reserve Forces

Lord De Mauley: To ask His Majesty's Government when the 2022 statutory report of the External Scrutiny Team on the state of the UK’s Volunteer Reserve Forces will be placed in the Library of the House.

Baroness Goldie: We are very grateful to the External Scrutiny Team for their work and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will publish their 2022 report and the MOD response early in the New Year.

Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Sick Pay

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are currently receiving statutory sick pay; how many people are eligible to receive only statutory sick pay when unwell; and how many people earn less than the lower earnings threshold, making them ineligible for statutory sick pay.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Statutory Sick Pay is administered and paid by employers, so this information is not held by the Government. Therefore, we are not able to make a robust assessment on the number of people who are currently receiving SSP. There is information on the type of sick pay usually paid from surveys of employers and employees. The most recent of these are a survey of employers conducted in 2018 (most recent publication in 2021) and a survey of employees conducted in 2014 (published in 2015). Links to both surveys can be found below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sickness-absence-and-health-in-the-workplace-understanding-employer-behaviour-and-practice Health and wellbeing at work: a survey of employees, 2014 (publishing.service.gov.uk)  As set out in the 2019 “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation, it was estimated that there were around 2 million employees who earned below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and were therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment: Cost of Living Payments

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people in receipt of (1) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or (2) Personal Independence Payment (PIP), who are not eligible for the Cost of Living Payment; and what plans they have to provide assistance to those affected.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Of those claimants in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in England and Wales in May 2022 (the most recent data available), 220 were not eligible for a Disability Cost of Living Payment (DCoLP), as they had claimed the benefit after the 25th May 2022 deadline. A further 3,020 may not have been eligible as they had their DLA suspended in May. Some of these claimants may have been partially suspended and so would be eligible for a payment. Of those claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales in July 2022 (the most recent data available), 2,260 were not eligible for a DCoLP, as they had claimed the benefit after the 25th May 2022 deadline. A further 43,290 claimants may not have been eligible as they had their PIP suspended on the 25th May 2022. This figure includes claimants who were only partially suspended and so would be eligible for a payment. There is a range of support available to claimants. DLA and PIP claimants are paid at up to £159.60 per week and we are forecast to spend £24bn on PIP and DLA this year. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why, in addition to the £37 billion of support we have provided for cost of living pressures in 2022-23, we are acting now to ensure support continues throughout 2023/24. To ensure stability and certainty for households, in the Autumn Statement, the Government has announced £26bn in cost of living support for 2023/24. From April 2023 we are uprating benefits for working age households and disabled people, including DLA and PIP, as well as the basic and new State Pensions, by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1%. Alongside further Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable, the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will also save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24. For those who require extra support, the Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England, this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities will use to help households with the cost of essentials. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding.  Notes:Source: PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS), National Statistics Frozen DatasetThis is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.The PIP data provided reflects the position on suspensions as recorded on the PIP analytical data system as at 5th December 2022. This is subject to revision as the Department receives more information about a claimant’s situation.The DLA data provided reflects the position on suspensions as recorded on the DLA analytical data system as at 31st May 2022. This is subject to revision as the Department receives more information about a claimant’s situation.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.Figures include England and Wales only.

Cold Weather Payments

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 16 November (HL3212), why they have kept the £25 Cold Weather Payment amount the same; and what plans they have to increase it in light of the increasing cost of energy bills.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: There are currently no plans to increase payment of the Cold Weather Payment scheme. The current Cold Weather Payment scheme represents a contribution towards additional heating costs, paid at the time of need. Pensioner households are in the process of receiving an extra £300 on top of their winter fuel payment to help them cover the rising cost of energy this winter. For those in receipt of Pension Credit the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 was issued in November. Pensioners in receipt of eligible disability benefits will have also received the disability cost of living payment of £150 issued in September. The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and that pensioners are disproportionately impacted by higher energy costs, and many low-income pensioner households do not claim the means tested benefits they are entitled to. That is why, in addition to the £37 billion of support we have provided for cost of living pressures in 2022/23, we are acting now to ensure support continues throughout 2023/24. To ensure stability and certainty for households, in the Autumn Statement the Government has announced £26 billion in cost of living support for 2023/24. In 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to a further £900 in Cost of Living Payments. A £300 payment will be made to pensioner households and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Also included is the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24 and raising the benefit cap by 10.1% in line with inflation.

Migrants: Cost of Living

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 8 November (HL2809), what support is available to individuals subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions as part of their total cost of living package of £37 billion this year, but excluding the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: In addition to the Government supporting those in receipt of public fund benefits with cost-of-living payments, the package also includes a range of measures that those with no recourse to public funds could also benefit from, if they meet the eligibility criteria. This would include an increase to the National Living Wage (NLW) by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over, from 1 April 2023 for those individuals who have a right to work. In addition, the Government’s commitment to the triple lock will see an increase from April 2023 of 10.1% to their State Pension. For those who require extra support, the government is providing an additional £1bn to help with the cost of household essentials, for the 2023-24 financial year, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding for this support to £2.5 billion. In England this includes an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842m, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. Guidance and individual Local Authority indicative allocations for this further extension will be announced in due course. Devolved administrations will receive £158 million through the Barnett formula. Local Authorities can provide a basic safety net support to an individual, regardless of their immigration status, if there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example if: there are community care needsthey have serious health problemsthere is a risk to a child’s wellbeing Local Authorities must use their judgement to decide what legal powers and funding can be used to support individuals who are ineligible for public funds or statutory housing assistance.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fish Farming: Animal Welfare

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include species-specific stunning requirements for farmed fish in slaughter regulations, in line with the protection afforded to terrestrial farmed animals.

Lord Benyon: As part of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are considering improvements that could be made to the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing. To inform this work, we have asked the Animal Welfare Committee for advice on the killing of farmed fish, and this is expected in the new year. The Committee’s advice will take into account species-specific welfare considerations for fish that are farmed in the UK.

Animal Welfare

Lord Shipley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current legislation protecting animal (1) welfare, and (2) rights; and whether they plan further legislation in respect of animal welfare in the current session.

Lord Benyon: The Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare was published in May 2021 and can be found at: Action Plan for Animal Welfare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy is attached to this answer.Action Plan for Animal Welfare (pdf, 5996.9KB)

Home Office

Asylum: Vaccination

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide an inoculation programme against infectious diseases for those staying in migrant processing centres; and whether any such programmes have been carried out in the past year.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office commenced a Diphtheria vaccination programme at Manston Asylum Processing Centre on 15 November.

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner: Public Appointments

Baroness Butler-Sloss: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 22 November (HL3235), what are the reasons for the delay in appointing an Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner; and what is their timetable for making the appointment.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The process to recruit a new Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner (IASC) follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.A fair and open recruitment campaign is underway, and it would be inappropriate to comment any further while this process is ongoing.A decision on the appointment is currently under consideration.

Asylum: Resettlement

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people likely to be granted resettlement in the UK for (1) the remainder of this year, and (2) the following two years thereafter.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Currently, our commitment to resettle refugees is a multiyear commitment with no specific targets. The numbers resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the field, and the availability of suitable accommodation and care packages in the UK.We will manage the flows based on need and in support of the wellbeing of the people and communities involved.

Asylum: Hotels

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers have been transferred from Manston processing centre to the Hilton Garden Hotel in Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley, North Wales since January.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 on the asylum system it has been necessary to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. This is only a temporary solution, and we are working with our accommodation providers to find appropriate dispersed accommodation across the United Kingdom.For safeguarding purposes, we do not publicly comment on individual hotels which may or may not be utilised, or those that may be accommodated at any sites.

Asylum: Scabies

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers in Dolgarrog have been diagnosed with scabies.

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers in Dolgarrog have been diagnosed with diphtheria.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The welfare and safety of all vulnerable asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance to the Home Office.We work closely with the UK Health Security Agency to ensure we adhere to the current guidance on mitigating the risk of spread of diseases and other health conditions. Our accommodation providers are experienced in managing accommodation and implement infection prevention and control measures in line with current Government guidance. Asylum seekers accommodated in hostel-based accommodation receive translated guidance in relation to potential symptoms and hygiene requirements, assistance and guidance are provided by support staff.It is confirmed that the site had six scabies cases, all cases have been treated, which was completed on 26/11/2022.Regarding diphtheria, there are no cases for now, as per NHS Doctor's advice. All guests have been vaccinated with the 1st dose on 05/12/2022.

Detention Centres: Manston

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any other infectious diseases, other than scabies and diphtheria, have been identified as originating from the Manston processing centre.

Baroness Humphreys: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to provide access to medical professions for those infected by infections disease after staying in the Manston processing centre.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: No diseases are known to have originated from Manston. To date, there is no evidence of community transmission of either Diphtheria or Scabies at Manston. Individuals receive an initial high level medical screening on arrival at Western Jet Foil – as of 10 December, this has now been supplemented by a doctor being onsite at Western Jetfoil between 0800 and 2000 each day, mirroring the Emergency Department Consultant cover at Manston.Manston Asylum Processing Centre is equipped with all necessary medical facilities. If individuals display infectious disease symptoms after arrival at Manston then these people are examined by medical personnel. A tiny fraction of arrivals so examined have been found to be suffering communicable and/or notifiable diseases. If this happens then individuals are immediately isolated and treated with antibiotics, being accommodated in an appropriate isolation facility until medically fit. Only once individuals are deemed medically fit can they be transferred from isolation to contingency dispersal accommodation.

Treasury

Income Tax

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have for the future of income tax for the next five financial years; and what assessment they have made of how state pensions will be affected by that tax.

Lord Harlech: At the Autumn Statement, the Government made the decision to keep the basic rate of income tax at 20 per cent, maintain income tax thresholds for a further 2 years until April 2028 and decrease the additional rate threshold to £125,140 from 6 April 2023. The tax treatment of social security benefits is based on the type of payment and why it is provided. In general, benefits that are designed to replace income are taxable, including the State Pension. The Personal Allowance is set at a level high enough to ensure that those pensioners whose sole income is the new State Pension or basic State Pension do not and, on current projections, will not pay any income tax in the next five financial years. As with all aspects of the tax system, the Government will keep these policies under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken by the Chancellor in the context of the wider public finances.

Private Rented Housing: Taxation

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to review the role of the tax system in meeting the demand for rental homes in the private rented sector.

Lord Harlech: The Government keeps all tax policy, including that affecting the private rented sector, under review.The Government has increased the nil-rate threshold of Stamp Duty Land Tax from £125,000 to £250,000 to support the property market until March 2025 and remains committed to supporting the rental market.The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill currently before parliament also contains provisions to increase Council Tax on second and empty homes.Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for this government.

VAT: Registration

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current delay in HMRC processing new registrations for VAT; and what estimate they have made of the costs of such delays (1) to the businesses and organisations affected, and (2) to the Exchequer.

Lord Harlech: HMRC aims to reply to 80% of VAT registration applications within 40 working days and are currently meeting that aim. However, for more complex applications or those that require additional checks, for example to identify fraudulent applications, this may take longer. HMRC expects to have significantly reduced the already small proportion of cases that are older than 40 working days by the end of 2022. HMRC has made no estimate of the cost to business or to the Exchequer of delays in VAT registration processing.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review the proposed new alcohol duty bands, and (2) to increase the top band, so that the reforms will increase the yield to the Exchequer rather than reduce it, as presently forecast.

Baroness Penn: The next steps of the Alcohol Duty Review announced in the Growth Plan will continue as planned and will take effect from 1 August 2023. The reforms are intended to improve the current system by making it simpler, more economically rational and less administratively burdensome on businesses. The Government welcomed further views on aspects of Small Producer’s Relief and Draught Relief in a technical consultation which closed on 18 November 2022, to ensure stakeholders continue to be able to contribute to the reforms. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Public Expenditure: EU Countries

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Penn on 25 November (HL3505),whether they will provide a figure in their answer of how much money the UK has paid the EU since its departure; and for what purposes that money was paid.

Baroness Penn: The financial settlement under the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020 (WA) represents the negotiated agreement over the UK’s financial commitments to the EU and those of the European Union (EU) to the UK. This financial arrangement is related to the UK’s past obligations as a departing Member State and does not relate to any future arrangements. As published in the European Union Finances Statement 2021, the net UK payments under the WA were c.£11bn (€13.4bn) by 31 December 2021. The publication notes that the UK received an invoice of c.£2.9bn (€3.4bn) in April 2022 which has been paid in full. Since the publication of this document, the UK has received the next regular invoice under the WA for c.£5.5bn (€6.4bn) which is paid in monthly instalments until May 2023. The payments made to the EU in 2022 under the WA will be outlined in more detail in the next edition of the European Union Finances Statement 2022 which is planned to be published in 2023. The latest publication with additional information about the underlying liabilities under WA can be found on gov.uk.

Public Sector: Energy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the financial impact on the public sector in 2022/23 as a result of the increasing prices of (1) fuel, and (2) energy.

Baroness Penn: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) recently published its Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which accounted for the impact of increases in oil and gas prices on the public finances. Higher energy prices principally affect the fiscal outlook via implications for spending, with the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) forecast to cost £43.2bn in 2022-23. The public sector is benefiting from universal support for energy costs this winter as part of the EBRS which provides a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic energy consumers, including the voluntary and public sectors. Public sector organisations will not be eligible for this support after March 2023. A review is currently underway to determine support after the initial six-month EBRS scheme, which will be targeted at those most affected to ensure fiscal sustainability and value for money for the taxpayer.

Refugees: Taxation

Lord Cromwell: To ask His Majesty's Government at what point Ukrainian refugees who have been in the UK for over 180 days are liable to pay tax.

Baroness Penn: Under UK tax rules, all income earned through employment is taxable. The Government has made guidance available on GOV.UK for Ukrainians arriving in the UK, which includes a section on employment and tax.The Government is committed to a fair tax system in which those with the most contribute the most. The income tax system is highly progressive, with different rates of tax sitting above an internationally high tax-free Personal Allowance. Ukrainians arriving in the UK will have to claim the Personal Allowance at the end of each tax year in which they receive UK income.

Winter Fuel Payment

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 29 November (HL3471), which said that the outturn for winter fuel payments for the year 2020/21 was £1,958 million in nominal terms, whether they have considered making winter fuel payments a taxable benefit; and ifso, what estimate they have made of the tax yield that would result.

Baroness Penn: The Government has no plans to make Winter Fuel Payments taxable, and as such no analysis has been undertaken to estimate how much this would raise.